Single mother research early childhood training to create a brighter future for her household and group

Arkansas Single Mum or dad Scholarship Fund September 2022 Scholar of the Month Gabrielle Hunter wholeheartedly believes kids are our future.

“Now we have to be supportive and encourage them to work exhausting and try for the most effective, to by no means hand over,” she stated. “Now we have to point out them it’s true you might be no matter you wish to be.”

Gabrielle has been working with kids for over 9 years and is at present employed at Clarendon ABC preschool as a paraprofessional. Her sons, Brayden and Kyison, are 10 and seven years outdated.

“I inform my boys on a regular basis after they say ‘We wish to go to high school and do such as you, Mommy. We wish to study that stuff, too!’ I say, ‘That’s good you wish to be like me, however guess what? Mommy needs you to be higher than her.’”

Gabrielle earned her Little one Improvement Affiliate, or CDA, credential in 2014. Two years later, she graduated from Phillips Group Faculty’s Stuttgart Campus together with her affiliate diploma. She’s now solely two semesters away from her bachelor’s diploma in early childhood training from the College of Arkansas at Monticello.

“And I’m not stopping right here!” she stated. “My future plans are to enroll within the graduate faculty and ultimately personal my very own daycare. I want to give again to the group. We’re right here to assist each other.”

Her academic journey hasn’t been a simple one. She’s taken a number of detours however has at all times gotten again on monitor.

“It has been loads of occasions that I’ve woken up and actually wished to simply say, ‘Neglect faculty and simply work and maintain my boys,’” Gabrielle stated. “However I do know that if I wish to make this a long-term purpose and to really see some monetary enhance, that signifies that I want to raised my training.”

Gabrielle says her mom — who raised Gabrielle and her sister as a single father or mother — is her inspiration: “Ladies are actually stronger than they assume.” And she or he’s grateful that she hasn’t been alone on her academic journey because of buddies, household, and Arkansas Single Mum or dad Scholarship Fund.

“My help system has been superb in serving to me with my kids and even teaching me to proceed to get my training,” she stated. “I want to thank everybody that has helped me develop into the mom I’m right this moment. Whether or not it was a great morning textual content, ‘Hey, how are you?’, monetary stability, or a pat on the again, it helped me.”